We all want to be the celebrity whose skin looks beautifully sun-kissed and is constantly sporting a striking golden hue. However, the adoration we have for bronzed skin is one that would have our ancestors turning in their graves! Discover the history of tanning, as we take a look back through the ages…. Tanning is one of the oldest trends in the business. In the millennia preceding the industrial revolution, particularly during the ancient Greek, Roman and Elizabethan times , pallor was considered the epitome of luxury.
Viewed as a sign of wealth and hinting at a noble life of leisure spent indoors, the trend for pale skin resulted in people using poison to create the perfect pale hue. The industrial revolution of meant that the working classes had moved into the shadows. Working in mines and spending leisure time indoors, the association of dark skin and poverty quickly diminished.
In , Theobald Palm recognised that sunlight was crucial for bone development and sunbathing gained momentum in the craze of curing illness. Up until the 's, creamy complexions were the epitome of beauty.
As the story goes, in the style-icon caught a little too much sun on a Mediterranean cruise, returning to the spotlight with a beautiful golden hue. The photographs of her disembarking in Cannes set a new precedent for beauty, and tanning as we know it, was born. I think she may have invented sunbathing.
At that time, she invented everything - Jean-Louis de Faucigny-Lucigne. Her sun-kissed look launched a trend, but for many this look was aspirational rather than achievable.
